SEC Corporation Finance Division Director Erik Gerding Departs

Erik Gerding, the director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s division of corporation finance, will be leaving the agency as of December 31st, according to an announcement made on December 13th. Following Gerding’s departure, Cicely LaMothe, who currently serves as the division’s deputy director for disclosure operations, will step in as the acting director. The SEC did not provide details about Gerding’s future plans.

Gerding initially joined the SEC in October of 2021 as a deputy director in the division of corporation finance, where he oversaw legal and regulatory policy. He was promoted to the role of director in February of 2023. During his time at the SEC, Gerding guided the division in recommending rules to the commission on a variety of issues, including climate-related disclosures for investors, cybersecurity risk management, strategy, and governance, as well as incident disclosure by public companies, and special purpose acquisition companies.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler commended Gerding for his contributions, stating, “During his time of service, we’ve adopted important reforms regarding corporate governance to better promote trust in the markets. We’ve adopted important reforms to enhance investors’ access to full, fair, and truthful information, a founding principle of our securities laws. I wish him very well in his next pursuits.” Gensler also expressed gratitude to Cicely for taking on the role of acting director and acknowledged her as a longstanding leader within the division.

Before joining the SEC, Gerding served as a law professor at the University of Colorado Law School, where he specialized in securities law, corporate law, and financial regulation, according to information provided by the SEC.